This recipe completely changed my relationship with fava leaves. Sure, I added them to quiches and sautes, but the leaves never inspired me as a culinary ingredient. So after reading about fava leaf pesto in the New York Times, I decided to see if this sauce could be as creamy, spicy, and wonderful as traditional pesto. Try this recipe for yourself and you’ll see why I’m a convert.

2-3 cups of fava leaves, washed1/3 cup of pine nuts (you can also use California sunflower seeds for a local food alternative)1 green garlic stem (washed and chopped), or 2 garlic cloves (chopped)1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated1/2 cup of olive oilsalt and pepper to tasteDirections: Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until creamy. Toss with pasta or spread on baked polenta. This is just another reason to love spring.

2 Responses to “Spring Pesto with Fava Leaves and Green Garlic”

This is really delicious- almost buttery with the olive oil. But after following the recipe, I think the leaves need to be blanched to take out the bitter aftertaste. There was not a bitter aftertaste when I ate the raw leaves but the blended leaves did. I also added some lemon and that smoothed things out a bit.